What is the greatest gift you have ever given yourself or given someone else?

[Carlota69]

An old friend of mine told me last night that he has stage 4 colon cancer that has mastisized in liver and lymph nodes. He told me that while he sits and does chemo that he gets to reflect on his life. He thanked me for helping him find his passion in life. Without my help at one point in his life, he may have never found what truly makes him happy. He called my help a gift. Of course, thru the sadness Im feeling, it made me feel special.

For me, Quitting smoking is the greatest gift Ive ever given myself. Hands down saved my life. I use to smoke a pack and 1/2 a day for 14 years. I LOVED to smoke. I made it look like a Olympic sport. I never ever thought Id quit. I never even tried. Then I met a girl who didnt drink, smoke or do anything. I only hung out with her once. A few months later I was told by one of her friends that she caught a cold a month after we hung out, couldnt shake it went back to the doctor and found out she had lung cancer, died a month later. A month later I got a lung infection. I have to this day never been that sick. It freaked me out. All I could think of was this chick who I didnt even know. I quit smoking COLD TURKEY. That was close to 15 years ago. Not one relapse, Ive never cheated.

I thank everything that is for the fact that I do not smoke. I guess I was meant to meet her, and I should look at our brief time together as a gift to me.

Anyways, Im not one to be sappy, but Im in that mode with my friends situation and all and just thought Id put the question out there...

[Jenson71]

Great topic, and good post. If you don't mind me asking, what was your friend's passion, and how did you help him find it?

[allen_kcCard]

I was going to say antifreeze, but then I read the post and my idea lost it's burst.

Nice post.

[Radar Chief]

MiniRadar.

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

My parents gave a gift to me when I was 19 years old and in College at KU. I was living the life. School had always come so easily for me growing up. I never did homework, I even skipped classes regularly all through high shcool to go play basketball with the homies. Got mostly A's and B's with a C sprinkled in here and there. Barely ever had to put in any effort. So when I got to college, joined a fraternity and started truly partying, i thought I could just slide through school and just do nothing but socialize... for 2 solid years. I didn't work, nothing. I was a party-bum... and my grades showed it. My parents kept talking to me telling me that this wasn't going to end well. But I never had been in a situation where i had really failed before. I always thought in the back of my head, "i can make it up, I'll just do it later". Towards the end of my what-should-have-been Sophomore year my parents said they weren't paying for school, the fraternity, or the allowance to keep the partying going. They couldn't enable me to waste what should have been my foundational years of adulthood completely away. I was devastated. I had to move out of the Fraternity, and figure out what to do with my life.

I joined the Army. And became a man.

I've now got a great job as a Senior Software Engineer, a Wife of 13 years I met while in the army, 4 beautiful kids, and the maturity to make it all happen.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

[Jenson71]

Good right turn, Zeke. I'm guessing you finished your degree after?

[Radar Chief]

I joined the Army. And became a man.

:thumb: It can do that.

[tooge]

my mother gave me a great upbringing in the absence of a father figure. She gave me a great mind, respect for myself, humility, and the ability to care about others. My wife gave me my two incredible children. My father, the rat bastard he apparently was, gave me the genetics for some crazy speed and great hand eye coordination that helped me in sports and my profession today. His genetics also gave me a killer schlong. thanks dad

[Fansy the Famous Bard]

Good right turn, Zeke. I'm guessing you finished your degree after?

Worked full time during the day and school fulltime in the evenings. That ain't easy let me tell you.

But well worth it.

[BigVE]

"What is the greatest gift you have ever given yourself or given someone else?"

A divorce. May sound sarcastic but it's true. After languishing in a bad relationship (after many good years, to be fair) and being miserable, depressed and even borderline suicidal for several years I decided that I HAD to make a change...and I did. Sure, it was hell for a while, but I have finally gotten to a good place in my life and have been able to get back to just being ME (something that I had lost) and being happy and relatively content with my life. I have lost over 100lbs. and feel better physically and mentally...better than I have felt in a very long time.

[Marcellus]

MiniRadar.

You have that one backwards. That gift was given to you.:thumb:

[Otter]

my mother gave me a great upbringing in the absence of a father figure. She gave me a great mind, respect for myself, humility, and the ability to care about others. My wife gave me my two incredible children. My father, the rat bastard he apparently was, gave me the genetics for some crazy speed and great hand eye coordination that helped me in sports and my profession today. His genetics also gave me a killer schlong. thanks dad

Just want you to know tooge that I'm trying very hard not to integrate the 'killer schlong' reference into a Mom joke.

[Otter]

Greatest gift ever given to me was my Mother and her unconditional love.

Greatest gift I've ever given myself was learning how to find peace of mind largely through figuring out what I'm able and unable to control and being able to differentiate between the two, learning the healthy methods of letting out aggression and understanding the relationship between body, mind and spirit and how they depend on one another for equilibrium.

It's a constant work in progress and there are step backwards but it's been in constant progression for a couple years now.

[tooge]

guess I had it backwards. Best gift I've ever given? I'd say fatherhood. I spend a shit ton of time with my wife and children doing everything from playing board games to going camping, hunting, canoeing, etc. I should spend more time with friends, but just cant get enough of my kids. Plus, they aren't gonna be kids forever.

[luv]

Gifts like that are far better than any material gift. Sometimes, just telling someone how much you appreciate them is worth more than anything you could buy them as a token of gratitude.

[Radar Chief]

You have that one backwards. That gift was given to you.:thumb:

However you consider it he is certainly a gift.

[Dave Lane]

Freedom from religion. The greatest accomplishment of my life.

[loochy]

Being born.

[loochy]

Posting on this board.

[loochy]

But no, really, I guess I haven't given anything that great so far in my life. I can't think of any outstanding thing really...I guess the best gift I have given is what I've given my parents. I was a great son, I stayed out of trouble, and I've made a success out of myself and I know my parents are incredibly proud of me.

[The Franchise]

I can't really pick one.

1. Quitting smoking after 10 years.
2. Joining the Air Force.
3. Applying for a job at the last second when I knew nothing about it. I got the job....2 years later applied for a supervisor job and got it. Now I'm applying for my supervisor's job.

[seclark]

myself to mrs. sec for 31 years next week. treat her like a fucking queen. do whatever she asks. try not to piss on the floor too much.
sec

[Sofa King]

I can't really pick one.

1. Quitting smoking after 10 years.
2. Joining the Air Force.
3. Applying for a job at the last second when I knew nothing about it. I got the job....2 years later applied for a supervisor job and got it. Now I'm applying for my supervisor's job.

Do you need an assistant to post on CP for you after you get that big wig job? You won't have time to do it yourself, and i'm probably the best poster ever, and cheap.

Whatcha say?

[The Franchise]

Do you need an assistant to post on CP for you after you get that big wig job? You won't have time to do it yourself, and i'm probably the best poster ever, and cheap.

Whatcha say?

Deal. I'll pay you in casino cash.

[Carlota69]

Great topic, and good post. If you don't mind me asking, what was your friend's passion, and how did you help him find it?


My friends passion was massage therapy, and I didnt help him find it, but I helped him achieve his goal/degree. I gave him a home free of rent while he went thru school. And believe it or not, massage school is almost like med school. Its not easy stuff at all.

[Carlota69]

BTW, loving the answers so far. I ask this question when I interview artists and it always takes them a minute. I think its good to sit back and reflect on all the precious gifts given and recieved...

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

socks

[Radar Chief]

BTW, loving the answers so far. I ask this question when I interview artists and it always takes them a minute. I think its good to sit back and reflect on all the precious gifts given and recieved...

Maybe that’s the difference between artists and engineers. It took less than a second after reading the topic title for me to know exactly what my response would be.

[Johnny Vegas]

hit a jackpot in Vegas and went out to buy something for my girl and walked in a Prada store in the Bellagio and picked her out a purse she can rock while in Vegas. $1,800 purse minus the sales tax because I was having it shipped to Montana where we have no sales tax.

[Jenson71]

My friends passion was massage therapy, and I didnt help him find it, but I helped him achieve his goal/degree. I gave him a home free of rent while he went thru school. And believe it or not, massage school is almost like med school. Its not easy stuff at all.

I had my first professional massage this summer. Wasn't sure if I'd get bored, wouldn't like it, or what. But 60 minutes later, I was shocked it was over because of how fast it went.

[Hootie]

myself to mrs. sec for 31 years next week. treat her like a ****ing queen. do whatever she asks. try not to piss on the floor too much.
sec

I, for one, am envious...

I hope that this guy can find mrs. sec one day...any marriage that lasts that long is a beautiful thing IMO...

divorce sucks

[Hootie]

I had my first professional massage this summer. Wasn't sure if I'd get bored, wouldn't like it, or what. But 60 minutes later, I was shocked it was over because of how fast it went.

that's what she said!!!

[Carlota69]

I had my first professional massage this summer. Wasn't sure if I'd get bored, wouldn't like it, or what. But 60 minutes later, I was shocked it was over because of how fast it went.

A good massage is a gift in itself.:thumb:

[lcarus]

Gosh, the best gift was this past Father's Day. I bought my dad a 250 dollar fairway wood. He really really wanted it and I broke the bank to get it for him.

[JD10367]

To myself: the Mediterranean cruise I took with my wife a few summers ago (Barcelona, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo). Crossed some stuff off the Bucket List (walked through the Roman Forum, Coliseum, and St. Peter's Basilica; climbed Mt. Vesuvius and walked through Pompeii).

To someone else: not really sure. I guess you'd have to ask people. I would say probably my last g/f before getting married. Her dad died when she was very little (like, 4) so she never knew him really. She had remarked that she didn't know where he was buried, just a vague location city-wise. I did some research, figured out the cemetary, went there, found his plot. One afternoon I told her we had to go somewhere, I stopped and bought flowers (which I said, "They're not for you"), made her close her eyes when we got to the general area, parked at the grave, walked her up to it, and handed her the flowers. To be honest, she never really told me if that was touching or just freaked her the fuck out, but if it was me, I'd want to know where he was. :shrug:

[Dr. Johnny Fever]

To myself: the Mediterranean cruise I took with my wife a few summers ago (Barcelona, Nice, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo). Crossed some stuff off the Bucket List (walked through the Roman Forum, Coliseum, and St. Peter's Basilica; climbed Mt. Vesuvius and walked through Pompeii).

To someone else: not really sure. I guess you'd have to ask people. I would say probably my last g/f before getting married. Her dad died when she was very little (like, 4) so she never knew him really. She had remarked that she didn't know where he was buried, just a vague location city-wise. I did some research, figured out the cemetary, went there, found his plot. One afternoon I told her we had to go somewhere, I stopped and bought flowers (which I said, "They're not for you"), made her close her eyes when we got to the general area, parked at the grave, walked her up to it, and handed her the flowers. To be honest, she never really told me if that was touching or just freaked her the **** out, but if it was me, I'd want to know where he was. :shrug:

That had the potential to go badly but I think it's really cool, shows a lot of forthough and caring. Did she react well?

[frankotank]

My daughter wanted this electric scooter and her birthday was coming up. It was pretty dang cool and it wasn’t cheap. I wasn’t really sure we should spend that much at that particular time. My son (two years younger – he was probably 9 at the time) knew it was pricey and comes to me about a week before her birthday with every last penny he had and gave it to me to get her that scooter! I’ll never forget that, ever. It wasn’t chump change either….kid probably had 60 bucks or more accumulated over time….birthdays…mowing etc. I told him to keep it and how proud I am of him and I’d take care of the scooter. It was so important to him that she have that. So on her birthday I took them down to the garage to unveiled TWO scooters. I felt my son deserved one for his complete selflessness and my daughter was in tears when I told her what went down. All in all a pretty cool birthday party. Those scooters were badass! But more importantly…so are my kids!

Later that year for his birthday I surprised him with tickets to the Michigan / Penn St game. The two of us flew from KC to Ann Arbor for the weekend. A very cool present for both of us.

Someone in here said they spend a lot of time with their kids cause they won’t be kids for long….. Amen brother. Enjoy them while you have them. My daughter just started college this year. :deevee:

[Earthling]

Best gift I ever received was definitely my daughter. We were told my wife was incapable of having any kids so we were both very surprised when she became pregnant after 20 years of being married. When she delivered we were both in our mid-forties and very concerned about complications for both her and the baby, considering our age. We were prepared for the worst and I can't describe my elation when we had a normal little girl, 10 fingers, toes, and no abnormalities. It was literally like winning the Universal Lottery.

Best gift given has been music. We, (the band), have played a lot of freebies at benefits, nursing homes, VA hospital, and others over the years. It was always a win/win for us because it was always received warmly and made us all feel good in our own hearts as well. :thumb:

[frankotank]

oh...by the way....cool post....cool thread.

[Carlota69]

Best gift I ever received was definitely my daughter. We were told my wife was incapable of having any kids so we were both very surprised when she became pregnant after 20 years of being married. When she delivered we were both in our mid-forties and very concerned about complications for both her and the baby, considering our age. We were prepared for the worst and I can't describe my elation when we had a normal little girl, 10 fingers, toes, and no abnormalities. It was literally like winning the Universal Lottery.

Best gift given has been music. We, (the band), have played a lot of freebies at benefits, nursing homes, VA hospital, and others over the years. It was always a win/win for us because it was always received warmly and made us all feel good in our own hearts as well. :thumb:
Thats F'n Awesome!!!!:thumb:

[JD10367]

That had the potential to go badly but I think it's really cool, shows a lot of forthough and caring. Did she react well?

Hard to say. I mean, I think she teared up a little, but it's hard for us guys to tell why you women cry, LOL. Could've been a "how touching" cry, or could've been a "my boyfriend is a creepy asshole" cry. She didn't actually voice displeasure, and we stayed together for a few more years after that. :shrug:

[OmahaChief]

The best gift I have ever given someone is compassion and advice. I have had several friends that were really down and out. hard luck type of stuff and they all always seem to call me for somoene to talk to and to share with. One friend was so distraught he was having suicidal thoughts and called me one night talking about it. Was the worst and best call I have ever gotten in my life. After about six hours on the phone my friend realized he would cause more pain to the people he loved if he went through with it. In the 12 years since that night, he has gotten married, had two Children and is now a VP for Microsoft. He tells me all the time I am the reason he is still alive. I am just thankful I picked up the phone that night as I was in the middle of huge issue at work and could have easily not answered.

The best gift I can think of is the work ethic that my grandfather taught me. It has got me a long way in life and it is something I think about every day.

[Carlota69]

The best gift I have ever given someone is compassion and advice. I have had several friends that were really down and out. hard luck type of stuff and they all always seem to call me for somoene to talk to and to share with. One friend was so distraught he was having suicidal thoughts and called me one night talking about it. Was the worst and best call I have ever gotten in my life. After about six hours on the phone my friend realized he would cause more pain to the people he loved if he went through with it. In the 12 years since that night, he has gotten married, had two Children and is now a VP for Microsoft. He tells me all the time I am the reason he is still alive. I am just thankful I picked up the phone that night as I was in the middle of huge issue at work and could have easily not answered.

The best gift I can think of is the work ethic that my grandfather taught me. It has got me a long way in life and it is something I think about every day.

Very very Cool.:thumb:

[Jilly]

I birthed a child....I think that's a pretty great gift to me and to him

[ClevelandBronco]

I gave a complete stranger a car once.

[CoMoChief]

Without the whole cliche' (gift of life, children....marriage etc - no offense) I'm going to consider this to be a question about a Xmas/bday gift....in which that case my gf at the time gave me tix to MU/KU Big Monday tix at AFH,10 rows from center court for Xmas. Don't know how she got those tix, she claims she only paid 100ea per ticket (which is a fuckin steal).

[Carlota69]

I gave a complete stranger a car once.

Wow--thats pretty sweet.

[KurtCobain]

Got a case of Gatorade for Chirstmas one year while I was a little kid. Fucking epic.

[Bowser]

I gave a complete stranger a car once.

I suddenly have that Seinfeld episode with the stinky car in my head.

[Rain Man]

I gave a complete stranger a car once.

This isn't one of those "handcuff a guy to a car and fill it with explosives and put a brick on the gas pedal" stories, is it?

I've helped a few people get jobs, I guess. And I got one woman a job at a company where she met her husband, so I get indirect credit for that.

[rocknrolla]

I gave my ex wife my house and all of its contents, except for a truck load of clothes. Never looked back. I guess that was the best gift to me. Because I never had to deal with her again.

[durtyrute]

Time away from Mrs. Rute

[007]

my wife and kids.

[Carlota69]

I gave my ex wife my house and all of its contents, except for a truck load of clothes. Never looked back. I guess that was the best gift to me. Because I never had to deal with her again.

ROFL

[Radar Chief]

Time away from Mrs. Rute

If this is the gift you’re giving her I’m sure she appreciates it. ;)

[Dayze]

the greatest gift I ever received was being honorably discharged from the Navy. Aside from getting married etc, it was the best day of my life. lol

[lcarus]

I suddenly have that Seinfeld episode with the stinky car in my head.

It's the beast!